Three Aussies Suspended Over 'Basket Brawl' With Philippines

Newsroom

Posted on July 19, 2018

Australian basketballer Daniel Kickert has been banned for five internationals, and his Boomers teammates Thon Maker and Chris Goulding have received shorter suspensions, for their roles in the brawl with the Philippines in the World Cup qualifier in Manila on July 2.

Milwaukee Bucks star Maker copped a three-match ban and Goulding was suspended for one match.

Kickert got the longest Australian sanction for unsportsmanlike behaviour after his elbow to the head of Philippines player Roger Poboy which started the brawl.

Ten Philippines players were suspended, including Poboy (five games) and Calvin Abueva (six games). In total, including the Philippines officials, they’ve been suspended for 39 matches.

The suspensions don’t apply to NBL or NBA games.

Basketball Australia was also fined 100,000 Swiss francs ($AU135,000) for removing floor decals during team training on the day prior to the game and its role in the third-quarter incident.

BA has 14 days to decide whether to appeal but chief executive Anthony Moore said they are unlikely to contest the charges.

“We deeply regret the incident and our role in it,” he told reporters.

He said BA 450 pages of statements to FIBA, and also had BA’s Head of Integrity fully investigate the allegation of racism.

“The allegations of racism that were made by some sections of the Australian media were proven to be absolutely baseless,” Moore said.

“They weren’t a contributor to any of the incident that occurred and there were found to be no substantive points in relation to racism.

“It’s something we take, from a Basketball Australia perspective, incredibly seriously when those allegations are made against us and our players.”